Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli wasn't completely back in glamazon mode today, but neither was this the dreamy, almost decorous collection of last Spring. In fact, it was a bit all over the place. Out first were three-piece suits—that'd be jacket, short shorts or mini, and exposed bra (now a bona fide Milan trend)—rendered in bandanna prints. Equally abbreviated bustier dresses came with faience prints in the front and "faux cul" bustles in the back. There were even some Tom Ford-era Gucci clingy jersey numbers with cutout hips in the mix. On the sweeter side, printed chiffon parachute dresses and strapless debutante gowns floated out with a few off-the-waist dresses. It was the latter that got the fashion pack so excited last September; this time they were sheer.

The only things missing were Cavalli's signature animal prints, slightly ironic given their omnipresence elsewhere in Milan. So, how to make sense of it all? You could call it a best-of collection, but that would be being generous. In the end, it looked like there were too many cooks in the kitchen.